Sorting machine



R. E. PAGE SORTING MACHINE Sept. 5, 1939.

Filed Aug. 2l, 1937 lNvENToR' .RA/ PH E. PHE

E" ma. im@

ATTORN EY Patented sept. s, 1939 soariNG MACHINE Ralph E. Page, West Orange, N. J., assignorto International Business Machin es Corporation,

New York, N. Y.. a corporation of New York Application August 21, 1937, Serial No. 160,217

13 Claims.

This vinvention relates to record controlled machines in general, particularly those adapted to be controlled by perforated records. such as the perforated cards used in the well known Hollerith and Powers systems for compiling and statistical data.

'I'he present invention is an improvement in the machine disclosed in Patent No. 2,079,422,

issued May 4, 1937, to Edward J. Rabenda. l The above patent discloses a Hoilerith type record-card-controlled sorting machine which is designed to effect a saving in the time necessary to sort alphabetic record cards to place them in alphabetical order. fected by preliminarily sorting the cards according to the lengths, of the names recorded in the alphabetic field in order to eliminate the waste of time which results from repeatedly passing cards through the machine for those columns of the name iield which are unusued.

'I'he machine disclosed in 'the above patent has several objectionable features which have limited the use of machine as disclosed in said patent'.

One of these objectionable features is that the application of the machine disclosed in the patent is limited to cases where the name is recorded in a eld devoted exclusively to the name, as separate iields must' be provided for the other alphabetic data usually accompanying the name, such as the street address, city, and State. This requires that a very large share of the card be devoted to the alphabetic data, Whereas, in most cases, it is .found that the field devoted to the name is seldom completely utilized.

It is advantageous to record the name and address in a single continuous field in order to reduce the number of columns necessary to the recording of the alphabetic data thereby increasing the capacity of the card for recording numerical data. In other Words, part of the address data may be recorded in the unused portions of the eld devoted to the name. If this is donc, however, the improvement described in the above patent cannot be used as the presence of the address data would cause all the relays which control distribution of the records in accordance with the lengths of the names to the pockets to be energized, except for the blank columns winch space the separate words or numerals present in the name and address.

Another objection to the machine disclosed in the patent is that it requires the use of two 65 impulse emitters, one for normal sorting operations, that is, serial number and simple selecting operations, while the other emitter is required for the operation of sorting according to the length of names and, in addition to these emitters, several additional contact making devices, commutators, or similar devices are required.

A third objection is that to utilize the improvement described in the patent, it is necessary to space the sensing brushes one cycle in advance of the usual position as it is essential to pre-read each card almost in its entirety before the sorting mechanism of the machine can be fully rendered effective to select a pocket in accordance with the length of the name recorded on the card. In other Words, two complete cycles are required to analyze each card and to determine its disposal in one of the pockets. This not only requires extensive alterations in the machine, such as lengthening of the'base and frame parts, but also requires additional parts, such as the additional pairs of feed rollers made necessary by the extra card feeding i)cycle occurring after the v analysis of the card The broad object of the present invention is to overcome the above objections to the machine described in the above patent.

Further objects of the instant invention reside in any novel feature of construction or operation or novel combination of parts present in the embodiment ofthe invention described and shown in the accompanying drawing whether within or without the scope of the appended claims and irrespective of other specific statements as to the scope of the invention contained herein.

'I'he drawing is a wiring diagram of the machine.

Alphabetic data is recorded in the columns of the cards by means of two perforations for each character, one of which perforations is located in either the 0, 11, or "12 index-point positions and commonly called the zone holes, while the other perforation is located inone of the index point positions "1 to 9, inclusive. Names of individuals are usually recorded in the name iield with the last name in the left hand columns and the rst name and middle initial or the initials alone in the columns immediately which a letter of the alphabet is required. It is possible, therefore, by reversing the normal feed of the cards, that is, by placing the cards in the lhopper so that the 12" positions will be sensed rst to eliminate the necessity for spacing the sensing brushes from their ordinary positions so asto preread the card in its entirety as must be done in the machine disclosed in above patent. In other words, so far as the length of the name is concerned, this` may be determined during the relatively short period of time that the sensing brushes traverse the card from the 12 position to the 0 position, leaving ten points of the cycle for determining the distribution of the cards to the proper pockets. Thus, by the' simple expedient of reversing the feed of the card, it is unnecessary to alter the machine structurally' to provide for an additional feed cycle.

Reversing the feed of the cards also makes it possible to eliminate the emitter which is necessary in the machine described in the patent, as the sorting magnet may be controlled in the usual way according to the present improvement, and does not require the use of hold-over circuits functionally similar to those disclosed in the above patent.

In order to make it unnecessary to devote an entire field exclusively to the name, a system of relays is provided, which is responsive to two blank spacing columns that in every case separate the last letter of the name from the irst letter or numeral of the address, the relays being so wired as to sense the location of the two blank spacing columns in the record eld and control the sorting mechanism accordingly.

In applying the present invention to a sorting machine of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,741,985, it is unnecessary to structurally alter the machine other than to add an impulse emitter designated E in the drawing which rotates at the same speed as the usual selecting commutator Cl and holding commutator C2. Actually, the commutators CI, C2 are constructed in one unit having a usual single common brush which, to facilitate tracing circuits, is shown in the drawing as two brushes designated CBI, CB2, respectively. This brush bears on a single continuous segment which is common to both of the commutators CI, C2. The brush BI of commutator `CI wipes over the usual segments SI which are equal in number to the number of index-point positions in a card column. Patent No. 1,741,985 describes the construction of commutator CI. Brush B2 of commutator C2 wipes over the discontinuous segment S2 which is designed to hold circuits through the commutator C2 from the 9 position of each cycle to the 12 position. The brush B3 of emitter E is timed so that it contacts with the rst segment S4 of the emitter E at the. 6 point in the cycle., CR

designates the usual contact roll for the sensing brushes; SB Athe sorting brush commonly employed for such sorting operations such as alphabetic and serial number sorting, etc.; CB3, the contact roll brush; BR the usual brush relay; and SM the sorting magnet. With the exception of the emitter E, the parts of the wiring diagram so far mentioned are connected in the usual Way.

In order to carry out the most common types of sorting operations, for instance, serial number sorting, the brush SB is placed in the brush holder provided for that purpose so as to bear upon the contact roll CR. With the cards fed in the usual way so that the "9 index-point positions will be sensed rst, the occurrence oi the hole in the "6 index point position, for example, will establish circuits as follows: line wire WI, common brush CBI, the 6" segment Si, brushes BI and CBB, contact roll CR, brush SB, wire W3, the brush relay BR, and sorting magnet SM, to line wire W2. The energization of the sorting magnet SM causes the usual sorting blades to become separated to provide a passage for the card having the 6 hole which passage leads to the 6" pocket of the machine. The brush relay BR closes its contacts to establish a holding circuit for itself and magnet SM through the brush B2, segment S2, and brush CB2 of commutator C2, to line wire WI. This circuit is broken at the 12 position. Thus, the card having the 6" hole will ultimately become deposited in the "6 pocket.

In order to carry out the operation of sorting alphabetic cards accordingly to the lengths of the names, the brush SB is removed from the brush holder and replaced by an assembly similar to the one shown in Patent No. 2,079,422 having nine brushes which are individually connected to the wires of a cable C3, the other ends of which wires are connected to the coils of the relays Rl to R9 inclusive. The coil of each of these relays is part of a series brush circuit including twoy other relays connected to the line Wire W2, except in the case of relay RI which is in series with the single relay Rill. There are nine of these brush circuits which connect the brushes BI2 to B20 to line wire W2 through the relays designated RI to R26. The contacts of the relays Rill to R26 are interconnected and also are connected to the segments S4 of the emitter E through the wires of a cable C4. 'I'he emitter E rotates in a counterclockwise direction whereby the contacts of the relays Rill to R18 are successively connected to the line wire Wl in reverse order.

It has been found from experience that a eld of twenty columns is ample for recording of names of individuals and will give sufcient capacity in most cases. The brush holder of the machine is adjusted so that the brushes BI2 to B20 sense columns 12 to 20 of the field in which name and address data is recorded, it being understood, of course, that the name and address ield in its entirety necessarily comprises more than twenty columns. 'I'he name will be separated from the rst part of the address by two unpunched columns. It will be assumed that all names will require at least eleven columns but, if extremely short names are encountered, columns 1 to 11 may be lled by either spelling out the rst name in full or, by employing additional spacing columns between thee parts of a name, the object being to insure that both of the two blank columns after the name will appear in columns 12 to 20. The cards are placed in the machine hopper so that the 12 positions will be sensed first and the 9 positions sensed last. The commutator Cl is made non-current-conducting in a well known way for the 0 to 6 positions, inclusive, and the 11 and 12 positions, respectively.

As an illustration, it will be assumed that the card has a name which terminates in column 14 whereby columns 15 and 16 of the card do not contain holes, while columns 17 -to 20 contain part of the address such as the name of the town. When this card passes the brushes BI2 to B20, parallel circuits may be established through all of the brushes except the brushes BIS, BI 6 thereby energizing all of the relays except relays R4,

R5, RIS, RII, R2I,.R22 over a typical circuit as follows: line wire WI, bush CBI, a segment SI,

brushes BI, CBS, contactroll CR, brush BIG;

cable C3, and relays R1, RIS, R24, to line wire W2. The relay R'I closes its contacts to establish a holding circuit forrelays R'I, RIS, R24 through wire W4, brush B2, segment S2 and brush CB2 of commutator C2, to line wire WI. Similar holding circuits are established for the relays RI, R2, R3, R6, R8, and R9 which circuits are held until after the 12 position of the cycle. 'Since the relays R4, R5 are not energized owing to the lock of a 0," 11, or l2 hole in columns 15 and 16 of the card, the contacts of the relays Ria, Ru, Rzl, R22 win remain open Owing to the method of interconnecting the contacts of the relays RIO to R26, the emitter E will not close a circuit until the "0 position of the cycle at which point a circuit will be established as follows: line wire WI, the brush B3, and the third segment S4 in a clockwise direction of emitter E, the proper wire of cable C4, the contacts of relays an, R20, als, the con of relay BR, and sorting magnet SM, to line wire W2. Energizationof the sorting magnet SM at the 0 position in the cycle will cause the card to become deposited in the 0 pocket, the relay BR establishing the usual holding circuit through the commutator C2 which is held until after the "12 position of the cycle. r

In the event that columns 1 to 20 of a card are completely filled with name data whereby the two blank columns are not present, all of the relays RI to R9 will be energized with the result that the card will become deposited in the 6 pocket. Y

In order to effect the selection of the pocket for the reception of a card, it is necessary that at least two of the relays RI, R2 be deenergized. It is also necessary that the 'two which are deenergized correspond to contiguous columns on a record card. If only one relay is deenergized. or two relays which correspond to columns separated by one or more other columns containing perforations, the proper selection of the pocket receiving the lcard is not effected.. It is only when two or more relays corresponding to two or more adjacent columns on the card are deenergized that the distribution of the cards to the pockets is effected in the proper manner. Thus, while two of the relays corresponding to contiguous blank columns must be deenergized to effect the proper selection of a pocket, it is not necessary that only two be deenergized. In other Words, two or more adjacent columns can be left blank for spacing purposes without eiectving the operability of the present invention.

In cases Where the portion of the name adjacent the two blank columns consists of initials spaced apart by single blank columns, themachine nevertheless will properly select the pocket to receive the card. For instance, if the first and middle initials of the name were recorded in columns 12 and 14 and spaced apart by leaving column 13 blank, columns 15 and 16 being blank, relays RI, R3, will beV energized, while relays R2, Rl, R5 will remain deenergized. Consequently, the contacts lof relays RII, R I9 will be open when emitter E closes the circuit at the 0 point in the cycle. However, the open contacts of relays RI I, RIS have no effect upon the circuit established by the emitter E through the contacts of relays RIZ, R20 because the contacts -of relay R20 provide a by-pass for the open con- ,had been immediately followed by two columns RII provide a by-pass for the open contacts of relay RII.

Under certain conditions, it is not necessary that two blank columns be used to space the last part of the name from the first name of lthe address. Let it be assumed for example that the name and address of the individual is recorded as follows in the card:

SMITH JAMES 4 WEST 34TH STREET NEW YORK N Y In recording the above name in the Lcard, eleven columns are required. Column l2 may be left blank and the=` hole representing the numeral 4 may be placed in column 13. When this card passes the sensing brushes BI2 to B20, the relays RI and R2 will not be energized because there are no holes in column 12 and only a single hole in the "4 position in column 13. The 4 hole in column 13 will be equivalent to a 3 hole when the card passes the sensing brushes, but since the commutator CI is non-current-conducting at the 3 position in the cycle, relay R2 will not be-energized. Since relay RI is not energized the emitter E will not establish a circuit through any of the contacts 'of relays RIO to R26 with the result that the card will be deposited in the reject pocket. This feature of the present invention is advantageous in some cases as it permits utilizing the unused portions of an alphabetic field for the purpose of recording numerical data which must be recorded for future reference but which is never accumulated when the cards are passed through the tabulating machine.

Since the commutator CI is made non-currentconducting i-n all the positions except the 9", 8, and "7 positions, it is evident that. so far as the operation of the machine is concerned, the record card might as well be unperforated in respect to the index-point positions 1 to 9 inclusive; In the above example, it was shown that for the illustrative card, the hole representing the street number in the 4 position had no effect upon the relay R2. In other words, the eiect produced in respect to columns containing only numerical data is the same as if the columns were left blank. Thus, where the last letter of a' name is immediately followed by a single blank column and one or more columns having numerical holes, or is followed only by two or more columns having numerical punchings, the effect is the same as if the columns containing the numerical holes had been left blank. In the illustrative example described in the preceding paragraph, if -the name James having numerical data, for instance, a street number of two or more digits instead of being partly perforated and partly left blank, the effect would have been the same. 1

This feature is of advantage where it may be desired to ll an alphabetical eld completely as with the name of an article and follow the name immediately with numerical data without the use of blank columns to separate the alphabetical data from the numerical data. It is not desired, therefore, to be limited to the use of blank columns for spacing the alphabetical data from the numerical data since, so far as numerical data alone is concerned, the machine is unaffected. It will be understood, therefore, that where the word blank is used herein and in the claims, it is not intended to means that the columns' are left blank but only blank so far as alphabetic data is concerned.

Owing to the fact that only two blank colmuns are necessary for the purpose of controlling the selection of the proper pocket, it is possible to use the present invention to sort cards according to the length-of name where an entire eld is set aside for the reception of name data alone, that is, the address data is not recorded in the columns receiving the name data. It is apparent that when cards like those illustrated in Fig. 3 of Patent No. 2,079,422, for example, are passed through a machine equipped with the present invention, one or more of the relays Rl to R9, ranging from the bottom to the top, will be deenergized according to theznurnber of unused columns in the name iield and since the portions of the name will be separated by single columns, such cards will be distributed to the pockets according to the position of the last letter in the name.

While there has been shown and described.

and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a. single embodiment it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the .invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sorting machine controlled by data designations disposed in a plurality of columns comprising a eld certain of which columns may be left blank for spacing purposes, means to sense a plurality of said columns, means controlled by the sensing means and adapted for detecting the location of two contiguous blank spacing columns, sorting mechanism including an element for controlling the operation of the sorting mechanism, and means controlled by the detecting means for operating said element to cause the records to be sorted according to the location of the two contiguous spacing columns in said field.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means to sense a record field comprising a plurality of columns certain of which contain data designations and others of which are left blank for spacing portions of the data from each other, means controlled by the sensing means and adapted for determining the location of the blank spacing columns, a machine control element, and means controlled by the last named means for operating the machine control element in accordance with the positions of theblank spacing columns.

3. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of electrical sensing brushes each for sensing one column of a record field in which columns are placed data designations with-one or more of the columns left blank for spacing the parts of the data recorded in said eld, a system of relays controlled by said brushes and so arranged as to denote the position of the blank columns, machine control means, and means for operating the machine control means under control of the said relays corresponding to the spacing columns.

4. In a machine of the class described, a series of electrical sensing brushes, each for exploring one column of a eld in which is recorded name and address data by means of designations placed in said columns, the several parts of the name and address being separated by blank spacing columns, a plurality of relay circuits each containing a relay responsive to a designation in the corresponding column, a machine control magnet, and circuit closing means for closinga cir- Icuit to said magnet under control of the relays corresponding to the blank columns.

5. A sorting machine comprising means to sense the several columns of a record eld devoted to both alphabetic data and numerical data represented by means of'designations placed in said columns, said alphabetically designated co1- umns being separated from the numerically designated columns by means of a xed member of blank spacing columns, means controlled by the sensing means and adapted for taking settings indicative of the position of the blank spacing columns, sorting mechanism, and means controlled by the last named means for operating the sorting mechanism according `to the position of the blank spacing columns separating the alphabetical and numerical data in the record elds.

6. In a machine controlled by records having a record field comprising a plurality of columns wherein data comprising several different parts is recorded by means of designations placed in said columns, the several parts of said data being recorded in sub-ilelds of varying sizes which subfields are spaced from each other by a predetermined fixed number of blank columns, means to sense all of said columns in the ield, a series of settable elements controlled by the sensing means and adapted for indicating the positions of the blank spacing columns, machine controlling means, and means controlled by the elements set to indicate the blank columns for operating themachine controlling means in accordance with the positions of the blank columns in the record ileld.

7. In a machine controlled by records having a record field comprising a plurality of contiguous columns of index point positions, said Ield being sub-divided into groups of columns forming sub-elds in which sub-elds diierent parts of the data are recorded by means of designations in the index point position of said columns, said sub-elds being variable in size depending upon the number of columns required to record each part of the data, said sub-elds being separated from each other by a predetermined xed number of undesignated spacing columns which indicate the point of separation of the diierent parts of the data; a record sensing device for sensing all of the columns of the record ileldI including the spacing columns; a machine controlling element, means controlled by the sensing means and adapted to indicate the point of separation of two subi'lelds irrespective of the number of columns in the sub-fields, and means controlled by the last named means for operating the machine controlling element according to the point of separation between two subi'lelds.

8. In a sorting machine, a plurality of sensing elements, each for exploring one column of a record field consisting of contiguous columns Wherein data comprising at least two parts is recorded by means of designations placed in said columns, each part of said data requiring a variable number of columns, said parts being spaced by means of a predetermined number of un-designated columns, means including a series of elements each controlled by a sensing element for taking a setting indicative of Whether or not there is a designation in the corresponding column, sorting mechanism', and means controlled by the elements corresponding to undesignated columns f of columns in said ileld in which portion oi the i'or operating the sorting mechanism according to the positions ofthe undesignated columns.

9.In a machine for sorting statistical record cards, a record analyzing device including a row of analyzing elements each adapted to traverse one of the columns of a record field containing 'data designations, certain parts of the data in said field being separated from other'parts of saidy and means including a series of elements set to indicate that a column is blank, controlled by those elements indicating blank columns for operating the sorting control means in accordance with the position of the spacing columns in said eld.

10. A machine for sortingV alphabetic/record cards according to the lengths of names which are identified by means of designations in the columns of an alphabetic eld, said iield also containing other data represented by alphabetic and numerical designations separated from the name designations by a predetermined number of spacing columns, sorting mechanism including a single sorting control element for controlling the operation of the sorting mechanism, a plurality of record sensing elements each corresponding to and sensing one column of the alphabetic field, a series of settab1e control devices one for each sensing element and adaptd to be set under control ofthe latter on the occurrence of a designation in the corresponding column of a record whereby said settable elements collectively by their conidition manifest the position of the spacing columns in the record, and means controlled by the settable elements conjointly for operatingthe sorting control means according to the position of the spacing columns.

11. A machine for sorting alphabetical record cards according to the length'of alphabetical data, such data being designated by perforations differentially disposed in an alphabetical record vileld composed of a plurality of columns on the card, certain of the data being separated from other data by means of unperforated spacing columns, record sensing means comprising a plu'- rality of contiguous sensing elements less in number than the number of columns in said field, and positionable to sense a predetermined' group ileld the spacing columns are variably located for successive records, sorting mechanism. means for controlling the operation oi the sorting. mechanism, means including a series oi elements each corresponding to one column of .the record field and controlled by one ot the sensing means for manifesting the position oi the spacing columns vin the predetermined portions of the alphabetical field, and means controlled by the elements correspondingto the spacing .columns for controlling the sorting mechanism in accordance with the position of said spacing columns.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combina tion of means for sensing the columns of a eld in which data comprising several diiierent parts is recorded by means of designations placed in said columns, the several parts of such data being recorded in contiguous groups oi' columns. said groups being separated by a predetermined fixed number of blank spacing columns; elements y corresponding to said columns and controlled by the sensing means for indicating the position oi.'

the predetermined number of blank spacing col-- umns, machine control means, and means controlled by the elements corresponding to the blank spacing columns for operating the machine control means according to the position in the record iield of the number of blank spacing columns.

13. In a machine of the class described, sorting mechanism, means to sense the columns oi a record eld in which two different kinds of data are recorded by designations placed in the index point-positions of said columns, each kind o i data being. recorded in a sub-field comprising a variable number of columns separated on the record lby a fixed number of spacing columns, the parts of each kind of data being further separated by a different iixed number of spacing columns whereby the line of separation between the two kinds of data is denoted on each record by a different xed number of columns than the individual parts of each kind of data, means controlled by the sensing means and adapted for takingA a setting to indicate the position in the field of the columns which separate the two different kinds of data, and means controlled by the last named means for operating the sorting mechanism in accordance with the position of the spacing columns between the two different kinds of data.

RALPH E. PAGE. 

